Signal



March 12, 1940, 1-. s. THOMPSON SIGNAL Filed Nov. 16, 1938 1' homer/s6. 1' hanupsow Patented Mar. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES I PAT-arrest This invention relates to improvements in signals, its special purpose beingto designate the limitsof a guard rail fence such as commonly seen at the sides of a highway. In many parts of the country which suffer heavy snowfalls it is a common occurrence for the guard rail fences to be completely covered. Frequently when the highway is being cleared of snow, the flange of the snow plow will come into contact with the posts of the fence and cause damage thereto before the operator of the snow plow is able to alter his course.

Naturally the destruction which follows 'is costly both in the repair of the guard rail fence and in the repair of the snow plow. It is for the purpose of preventing this damage that the sig- First, to provide a signal especially construct ed for and adapted for a permanent attachment to a guard rail fence such as is customarily seen beside a highway, said signal extending up high enough above the fence to indicate the position i of the end post when the fence is snowed under.

Second, to provide a signal for the purpose described, having a divided but spring-connected flagstaif, the bottom end of which is adapted to be rigidly secured to a guard rail post.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective of a guard rail fence, j

illustrating the application of a pair of signals,

Figure 2 is a detail view of one of the fence posts, again illustrating'the improved signal,

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating how the signal is adapted to yield if inadvertentl struck by the flange of the snow plow,

Figure 4 is a partially sectional and elevational view illustrating the spring coupling,

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 2,

Figure 6 is a detail cross section illustrating a modified type of attachment for the base member to a post. v I

In the drawing, a representative type of guard rail fence is generally designated 1. This comprises the posts 2 which are sunk in the ground, and are left extending high enough above the ground surface to provide an adequate guard when the wire cables 3 are strung therealong and secured thereto as shown.

Inasmuch as each of the signals t is alike in 5 set at 9; The flange is firmly secured at if! to the fence post 2.

slightly toward the gutter l I (Fig. l) the approx imate extent of its leaning away from the per pendicular line If being designated in Fig. 2. For this purpose the upright part of thebase member 6 stands at a slight pitch to the flange 8; The purpose of this is to incline the staff 5 away from the vertical and towards the axis of the post. 1

The flag I3 is thus positioned more nearly over the post to designate its true location than if the staff were made perfectly straight.

Said flag comprises a metal plate. This is preferably welded to, the staff 5 at it (Fig. 5). Any

other desired type of attachment can be. adoptj ed, but man instances the flag will be rigid and must be substantially in line with'the offset 9 so that the flag will extend at right angles to the The latter may and probably will be colored red so as to be clearly visible against the white background of the snow. The flag will be sup plemented with a reflector button it (Fig. 5) which will show'the position of the terminal post 2 at night. The button can be applied in any desired way, being held for example by a socket I'i. The'button it will show red when viewed from the beginning of the fence. If desired, another button may be attached to the flag on the other side, said button showing green.

Instead of attaching the signall as illustrated in Fig. 2, use may be made of a band !8 (Fig. 6). This is in the nature of a clamp. It has a socket at I9 to receive the base member 5a, and has flanges 20 which are drawn together by'a bolt and nut, commonly designated 2!. Obviously the clamp is attached to the post 2a.

It is clearly seen in Fig. 4 that the spring i constitutes a coupling between the staff 5 and its base member 6. The latter is rigidly secured to the fence post, thus combining the signal with the terminal post of the fence. The signal always stands in position to indicate the location of the fence when the latter is snowed under,

Y 10 It is preferable that the staff '5 shall lean V and should the operator of the snow plow drive over so far as to ride over the fence I, the striking of the staff 5 by the flange of the snow plow will simply cause the signal to yield (Fig. 3) with out doing any damage.

I claim:

1. A signal comprising a stafi having a flag at its upper end, a base member having an offset terminating in a flange which is adapted to receive means for its connection to a post, said offset locating said stafi to one side of said post, and a spring coupling joining the lower end of the staff to said base member, said member standwith said offset.

ing at a pitch in respect to said flange and leaning toward said post, causing the staff to incline away from the vertical and toward the axis of the post.

2. A signal comprising a staff, a base member having a flange to receive means for its connection to a support, said base member having an ofiset locating said staff to one side of said support, a spring coupling joining the staff to said base member, and a flag plate rigidly secured to the top of the staff in permanent substantial line THOMAS S. THOMPSON. 

